Make Me
by Kageyamallama
Summary: "You can't stay mad at me for long." He said, voice soft and velvety. If this were any other situation, his voice would have made her melt, but she fought hard to hold on to her anger. "Yes, actually, I can."


**Hello there, **

**Just some soft Valdug up in here on this day. **

:-)

* * *

"So," Skulduggery Pleasant said, after a beat of silence had followed them into the car, his hands rested gently on the Bentley's smooth steering wheel. "Do you want to talk about what just happened?"

"You're an arsehole." Valkyrie simply replied.

"Ah." He turned the key in the ignition, the engine purred to life and he pulled out onto the rain-slicked road.

"A complete and utter prick."

"Now, Val-"

"You're a moron."

"That's just rude."

"Idiot."

"Valkyrie."

"I hate you _so_ much."

"I know."

Skulduggery triggered the indicator, he switched lanes as he turned his head to look over his shoulder, seeing nothing but the dead street they left behind. Valkyrie twisted her whole body away from him, deliberately letting silence fill the space between them as she looked out the window.

"You can't possibly give me the silent treatment forever." Skulduggery mused after a few hushed moments.

"Watch me." Valkyrie retorted, not turning to face him.

"See? You can't resist my charms for long."

Valkyrie glared as she sank down into her seat a little further, forcing her eyes to stay trained on the moving scenery, to ignore the urge to look over at his face.

"Okay, okay. I know you're mad." He said, turning his gaze away from to road to glace over at her.

"I'm beyond mad, I'm furious." Valkyrie caved and met his empty stare.

"You can't stay mad at me for long." He said, voice soft and velvety. If this were any other situation, his voice would have made her melt, but she fought hard to hold on to her anger.

"Yes, actually, I can."

Skulduggery's gaze turned forward and he was quiet as he focused on the road ahead, muscle memory kicking in as he drove down the familiar streets. Streets he'd been driving down for years, streets he'd come to treasure. He only stopped once they arrived at a familiar house, Skulduggery wondered just when one particular occupant became his most trusted friend and partner.

He couldn't recall.

Was it after they saved the world or before? After the countless rescues and amusing stakeouts? Did it happen when he wasn't looking? Perhaps it nestled itself in-between all the one-liners and sarcastic jibes, not intending to be found. Not intending to present itself and say 'Yes, here I am!' But, somehow, it did.

"Stop being so stubborn, Valkyrie." He said after he parked the Bentley.

"No." She pulled her crossed arms tighter around her chest.

"Please?"

"You tricked me!" She said, refusing to let the tears fall as they welled up in her eyes, obstructing her vision.

"You tricked me, and I fell for it. I thought you were actually going to do it, you know. I thought all you're self-loathing had finally caught up with you, that sacrificing yourself to the accelerator was going to be your way of making up for what you did in the war and there wasn't one single thing I could do, or say, that would've stopped you."

Skulduggery tried to speak but Valkyrie cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"You are my _best friend_.''

"Naturally." Skulduggery said before she could cut him off.

"After all we've been through, the countless life-saving and arse-kicking. You make my life better, you – quite literally – kicked the door down to let adventure into my life. And I love you for it, how am I supposed to live when you're not there beside me?"

"Well, luckily for us, we won't have to find out."

Valkyrie made a hum of acknowledgement but didn't say anything further, she was tired and still processing all that had happened. The lives that had been taken from her, the lives she'd taken from others.

"Go." He said, reading her mood. "You need rest, in your own bed, after what happened today. After what happened in general."

She nodded.

"And I'm sure your parents are waiting for you." He added.

Valkyrie groaned internally but gave him a soft look as she pulled open the door and slid out of her seat. Even though she was mad at him, an anger that was slowly slipping through her fingers, she still gave him a little wave as she disappeared through the front door. She watched from the window, out of sight, as he drove off, the dark swallowed up the gleaming car until all she saw was the stillness of the night.

Valkyrie exchanged very few words with her parents, promising to explain everything properly in the morning before making her way upstairs. She flopped heavily on her bed, letting her eyes close with the exhaustion of her drowsy mind as her aching body was finally allowed to rest. The stabbing pain from her still steadily healing ribs did nothing to slow the descent into unconsciousness and, for once, she didn't bother to fight it.

* * *

Valkyrie woke up suddenly, her eyes snapping open as she gulped in air like she'd been drowning. Her lungs draining of the imaginary saltwater her subconscious tricked her into thinking she'd swallowed. She liked the taste of air, Valkyrie thought, as she tried to steady her racing heart.

She didn't know what time it was, much less how long she'd been asleep for; she could didn't even fully remember _where_ she was or what had happened. All she knew was that she had to know, had to make sure it wasn't just a dream. That he'd come back. Her hands fumbled around in the tangled bed-sheets as her fingertips grazed over the screen of her phone. Valkyrie fought the sense of relief that tried to wash over her, she told it to wait, until she was certain.

"Skulduggery?" She whispered, voice more broken than she'd ever admit, after she heard the faint _beep_ of him picking up her call.

"Valkyrie?" He asked, alert. "You're still awake?"

"Just making sure." She mumbled and promptly hung up on him as sleep claimed her once again.

* * *

Skulduggery called her back the next morning.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, peachy keen." She said, words forming around the bite of late breakfast she'd shovelled in her mouth. She hadn't realised just how hungry she'd been.

"Good, just making sure." He mirrored her words from the night before, entirely sure that she'd forgotten the entire exchange.

"I'm taking the day off today; in case you haven't figured that out yet."

"I figured, you spoken to your parents yet?"

"Not yet."

"Good luck."

"Thanks."

"I'll leave you to it then."

"Skulduggery?" She asked.

"Yes?" He replied.

"I'm really glad you're alive. Well … as alive as you can be."

He laughed low and smooth. "Me too, Valkyrie. Me too."

* * *

In the passing weeks, Valkyrie had come to an important, life changing, decision. She'd spent as much time as she could handle with her family, neglecting her sanctuary official job and the aftermath of the crisis she had been responsible for. After telling them her decision, she'd answered all their questions and assured them that she'd be okay, she just needed space. Time. They didn't press the issue any further and she was grateful.

Then, entirely too soon yet impossibly too late, she'd said goodbye. To her parents, to Alice and to her friends, or at least what was left of them. She'd said goodbye to her room, her streets and her familiarity. Goodbye Ireland, she thought, looking out from the pier.

Her phone informed her of the time by beeping annoyingly at her, she got back in her car and drove away from her home for the last time. She'd kept this entirely from Skulduggery, only having the courage to tell him at the last possible moment. When she'd been in too deep enough to back out. Yet, Valkyrie already had a feeling he knew. He knew her like he knew himself, all these years of being partners, best friends and soulmates in every sense of the word, had made sure of it.

His goodbye, she knew, would be the hardest of them all.

She arrived at their meeting place later than expected, but he didn't mention it as she got out of the Oompa-Loompa and walked over to him.

"Does it hurt?" Skulduggery asked, leaning up against the hood of the Bentley. Not offering his help at all, his empty eyes watched as Valkyrie wrestled with the abnormally large suitcase.

"Excuse me?" She replied as she struggled to haul her luggage from Skulduggery's backseat into her own.

"Does it hurt?" He repeated, still content to watch her struggle. "Leaving your life behind. Your family. Friends. _Me_."

Valkyrie took a sharp inhale of breath.

"Yeah."

"Where?"

"What?" She asked, exasperated, as she dropped the bag once again. "Why is the damn thing so _heavy_?" She didn't expect an answer, she knew why, Skulduggery had always complained about how his place was littered with her things.

"Where does it hurt?" He repeated, ignoring her.

Valkyrie straightened up; suitcase forgotten as she looked directly into the void where his eyes should be

"Everywhere."

"Well," He said as he pushed his frame off the gleaming car to stand, his arms crossed over his chest. "Maybe it hurts for a reason. Maybe you're trying to tell yourself to stay."

Valkyrie shivered and, in response, Skulduggery glided over to wrap his coat around her shoulders. He effortlessly picked up the dropped suitcase and passed her as he smoothly pushed it into the already packed backseat of Valkyrie's bright orange car.

"You know," He said, but didn't turn to face her. "If you change your mind, I won't judge you."

"Very funny." She dryly said. "Don't make this any harder than is has to be."

"Are you _sure_ you want to go?"

"I have to. All the things I've done …" Valkyrie trailed off as she shook her head lightly. "I just can't stay."

"Even though it hurts?"

"Yes."

"I've lived with this same kind of guilt for hundreds of years, Valkyrie. I can help you, if you'd let me."

"I know you can, but I need to go."

Skulduggery's shoulders sagged a little and her face softened.

"I won't be gone forever. I'll be back someday."

"You're my _partner_ Valkyrie, it feels like you'll be gone forever."

Valkyrie stepped forward to wrap her arms around Skulduggery's abnormally thin frame, anyone else would be less than pleased to feel the pronounced bones through his pristine suit. But she could feel the spaces in between the bones of his ribs and felt nothing but warm affection fill her own emptiness, she let it, not knowing when this feeling would return. Not knowing when she'd welcome this feeling without the guilt eating away at her.

"My hugs are for special occasions." Skulduggery protested, but raised his arms to hug her back anyway.

"Well, _luckily_, this is a special occasion."

"I beg to differ."

"Shut up and hug me."

So he did, one arm around her waist and his hand trailing from her warm cheek to the back of her head, pulling her in close to him. He felt her breath on his high cheekbones, and she breathed out little puffs of air, which turned to mist with the cold. He abruptly became very aware of the life that he held so close to his chest. Of the life he had protected over all their adventures, of the life that saved his just the same.

"Are you sure there's nothing I can say that'll make you stay?" He asked softly.

"I'm sure."

Skulduggery didn't want to let go but knew he must, she pulled away a little so she could look at the skull he wore for a face.

"Can you just kiss me already please."

"No, I don't think I will."

"I'll murder you."

"I'm sure I'll live. Well, actually, I'll just continue being dead, but you know what I mean."

Valkyrie snorted as she slipped her fingers up underneath the top of his shirt, tapping at the symbols etched perfectly into his collarbones. A waxy, yet handsome, face rippled up over his skull and suddenly a pair of piecing green eyes stared back into hers, replacing the twin voids she's so used to looking into. Shoulder length hair tumbled down his head and rested on his slightly tanned face in loose curls.

"I like this one." Valkyrie said, after she gave herself a moment to take in the new features, she studied him carefully.

"You like all of them."

"Not true," She laughed out. "Remember that one time-"

"We promised to never speak of that." Skulduggery said hurriedly, in an attempt to cut her off, not particularly wanting to be reminded of _that_.

"I didn't promise, you just told me not to."

"Ah. I forgot you had no respect for authority."

She laughed, loud and infectious, as she let her head tilt back.

"So are you actually going to kiss me anytime soon or … ?"

"I will if you promise to _never_ speak of the incident again."

"Make me." She said, grinning.

So he does.

* * *

**I'm so stuck in the Phase 1 dynamic, I love them. **

**Even though I'm starting to see them more as best friends and like, platonic soulmates... I still like writing just a lil bit of Valdug. Reminds me of when I was in highschool lol. **

**New chapter for my other ongoing SP fic coming soon. :-)**


End file.
